Does it ever feel like one day you just woke up and looked at your child and your jaw drops and you think How in the world did you get so big? Well that happened to me all day today. Our sweet little Kyri, has gone from infant to 4 years in a matter of seconds.

When I close my eyes and think about all the times with that little cutie I have flashes of laughter, hugs, dancing, singing, chasing, jumping, tea parties, camping, swimming, playing in the sand, making cookies, taking baths, practicing acro-yoga, reading books, watching movies, showers, saunas, getting long kisses (she likes em long, what can I say? 😛 ), singing in the car, getting groceries, eating tons of treats (she’s my main recipe tester), singing bed time songs, and so so so many board/card games.

She has been a dream come true. Every time I see her I am reminded of all my hard work that I put into being a healthy, fit, disciplined pregnant woman/mama. Seth was already 6 and Chloe was 11 when Kyri was born, at home by water birth on the beautiful sunny morning of Feb 25th. It sounds amazing but really – I had her as natural as natural can get. No drugs so I felt EVERYTHING. But the experience was worth it and I’d do it again in a heartbeat. I also had Seth without any drugs so I knew I could do it.

I’ve been doing so much reflecting lately. This was the first year Kyri went into a gymnastics AND playschool. I was now on her schedule. This was also the first year EVER that our son Seth went to live with his dad in the next town over. Huge transition for all of us. And to be honest it wasn’t easy. I journalled about it so much. I cried a lot. That was a change I could never be “ready” for. But now – since september it’s been 5 months and we are all settled in and feel good about where we are at and how things are going. Throughout the week Kyri will say, “I miss Seth and I miss Mugsy” and I’ll totally agree. I miss them too Kiwi. ♥ At least we get to see Seth every weekend!

It’s been so nice getting to meet more moms! Moms at gymnastics and at playschool! They are all so sweet and so interested in where Kyri got her white blonde hair from! haha not me! Tod! I find it so fun to talk about our pregnancies, our kids health, and our experiences being a mom and if we have any sanity left. I love relationships where we can be open and honest – sharing stores of our ups and downs and trust that we all have eachother’s back! Getting and giving that support is so important in this world. After all, we are all doing this “thing’ called parenting, together.

But I will admit I do hold back sharing a couple things about Kyri. Not because I have any regrets or because I don’t want people to think I’m some crazy hippy chick….It’s just because I know that not everyone GETS our lifestyle. Like Kyri has NEVER gotten a hair cut, NEVER gone to the doctors, NEVER drank milk, NEVER gone to the dentist, NEVER gone to a pediatrician, NEVER got any vaccines, NEVER eaten fish crackers, and has NEVER had fast food. I don’t even think she’s ever had chips, a slurpee, pop, candy, or milk chocolate! We just live a different lifestyle. We never go to the doctors cuz we aren’t sick and don’t have issues that need their opinion. We don’t stop at convenient stores and stalk up on junk (like I used to). I love cooking so we never eat out. We never go to the dentist because we don’t eat refined sugar and we take very good care of our teeth AND our whole bodies. And I always make chocolate from scratch with either raw honey or maple syrup, raw cacao and/or raw carob powder, cocoa butter, vanilla, and sea salt so really she gets the good stuff! Which is FAR better then anything store bought. I make sorbet, ice cream, all our cakes, treats, and snacks. I have a cookbook for ef sakes! Ya feel me? If you know my family – you know we’re a bit hardcore – but we love and it we thrive off it! So that’s all that matters right?

Kyri walking Mugsy on the Boardwalk – 3 months before Mugsy passed

It seriously breaks my heart to think of our Mugsy passing last year in Oct. He was only 11 years old, but he wasn’t a very active dog when we got him. He slept all day! It wasn’t until we slowly switched him to a raw diet that he turned back into a frisky energetic puppy again, but Tod and I both think that his health in his early years wasn’t as good as it could have been so he wasn’t set up to live a long life. He had a couple health scares so I took him to the vet and they told us that shihtzus have many health issues. So we just fed him and loved him and walked him as best as we could and he lived a happy life. Until he got sick and stopped eating and passed. We buried him in the backyard and Tod made him a cross to go above his grave. Now whenever we think of it, we go outside to visit him (his grave).

I’ll never forget how Mugsy turned into my baby when I was pregnant with Kyri. He slept beside me in the bed. He came to cuddle with me on the couch. He’d always try to lick me and he’s always stand beside me while I cooked, hoping I’d drop something yummy as I chopped veggies. And then when Kyri was being born he barked and barked while I was pushing! I was starting to worry about him so Tod put him in the other room so I could focus. When we introduced Kyri to Mugsy he kept his distance for quite some time. Probably didn’t trust this new baby who took his spot. But later when Kyri could crawl she ALWAYS went for Mugsy, pulling his hair and getting him to give her dolls a ride on his back. ♥

We sure miss our Mugsy good boy. Kyri was always so good with him. One day MAYBE we’ll get another dog. RIP Mugsy good boy!

I can’t even BELIEVE how much she’s grown in the last year. Her favourite word is COINCIDENCE! “You and dad both have black coats!? What a coincidence!” “You like pizza and I like pizza! What a coincidence!” “Your shirt says Loved on it just like mine! What a coincidence!” She’s such a ham! She’s at that age where she gets hurt or falls or drops and breaks something every day. “Hey Mom! I have the last name Dugas and you have the last name Dugas! What a coincidence!”

Kyri’s favourite things to do are:

Sing LOUD to all of her favourite songs and while she plays she makes up her own adorable songs

She loves to play with her princess dolls in their castle and in the bath

She loves to slide front to back after the bath water has been emptied

She loves to put on dresses and dance like a ballerina (her big sister taught her some pretty awesome moves)

Jumping on the trampoline and playing at the park

Going for bike rides

Movies like Barbie, anything Disney, and loves Dora episodes

Loves Play Doh and drawing

Plays hide and seek daily

Enjoys all fruits and veggies

Drinks lemon water every morning

Goes to bed no prob around 8-8:30

Only had 1 pee accident all year – at gymnastics she couldn’t get out of her body suit in time! Mommy to the rescue!

Other things she gets excited about – going to the beach or lake to throw rocks in the water and swim, have picnics in the backyard, drink tea, run through the sprinkler, eat popsicles (mom freezes her leftover smoothies), camping, and colouring

Jillian Jiggs by Phoebe Gilman, Up! Up! Down by Robert Munsch and The Little Mermaid by Disney are her favourite books

With Seth I always bought him toys (every pay cheque) and spoiled him rotten with candies and cheezies, and kids pack style lunches, because I thought that was what parents did and I didn’t know anything different. Now I’m like Omg old Mandy! You really didn’t know! I didn’t know anything about nutrients, reading labels, unhealthy ingredients, or about proper food combinations, or serving sizes. Or how spoiling your kids with toys will only bite you in the butt later on in life!

With Kyri I did so much research before I got pregnant, read so many awesome books, had a midwife instead of a doctor (and trust me – the experience was like night and day), and practiced everything I read that inspired me to be a healthy happy mama! I was determined to create the best possible life for this new life I was bringing into the world. Seth was so unhealthy for so many years. When I made the switch, he did too, and is now thriving – so that goes to show that it’s never too late! Kyri has been introduced healthy food since the first day she ate food! And she loves it all. I am super happy in our choices as parents. With Tod, there is no beating around the bush, you either eat healthy and thrive or you eat junk and you get sick. He says it like it is because it’s the truth!

Her health – It’s truly is such a wonderful experience, having a thriving, happy kid, who loves life and who rarely gets sick. I had her naturally and as she went through the birth canal she got a mouthful of my viginal fluid which gave her all of my healthy bacteria and created the best microbiome for her tiny developing body.

I then breastfed her for 2 years and 4 months, so she continually had all the nutrients she needed in that time. As she teethed she only had 1 fever and had 1 minor earache – that a cotton ball of lavender oil, in the ear, fixed within minutes!

When she went into play school and started gymnastics, this last year, it was the first time she was around kids who were sick, so naturally she would get colds (one after the other) and fought them off within DAYS and then from there built her immune system even stronger! Last October (and still) our town has has this nasty respiratory virus going around. While Tod and I were in Mexico all of our kids, parents and friends had this nasty cough with other minor issues like plugged ears, rashes, and low energy. Kyri had her cough for months but then kicked it faster than our oldest and our parents.

She really does have a great immune system! Go Mommy and baby! See how important natural birth is! For all of those moms who have to get a c-section due to emergencies, there is now an AWESOME technique called seeding! Once the babies are born they are covered in their mothers vigainal liquid, get some swabbed in their mouth, and are cuddled by mommy before weighing and so on. One doctor has proven that it helps babies who have been born via c-section to have a health immune system, just like babies who have been born vaginally.

I never knew how amazing parenting could be until I had the knowledge, patience, and motivation to LIVE, THRIVE, AND BE PRESENT (as often as I can be).

As much as I want to have my own career and help others be healthy, I also want to fill my days with family and love!

Thank you Kyri Dugas for filling our life with amazing love, laughter, and joy and for teaching us how to have fun again! How to really appreciate the present moment and to just live without a care in the world.

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About Mandy

Mandy is a health enthusiast who loves leading by example. She is always thirsty for knowledge and loves to implement new creative ideas into her life. She is a wife and a mother of 3. She created Mandy's Healthy life to inspire others to live a healthy life - so they can feel their very best every day.

Mandy wrote Healthy Food, Healthy Home, Healthy Life in 2014 and has written two ebooks and one 12-week lifestyle challenge since, which starts again on March 20th! Are you in? Search Radiance Challenge here on Mandy's Healthy Life and join! ♥

Mandy is currently writing her second book Love Your Healthy Body and is getting ready for the Radiance Challenge. She practices holistic health daily and nourishes her body with home cooked organic food. Check out her recipes, her routine, her adventures and more, right here on Mandy's Healthy Life!